Sometimes, destinations that seemed out of reach or too expensive suddenly become good deals, or at least better deals.

Example: New York City.

This year, “it has seen a sharp decline in hotel, airfare and attraction prices due to two factors: a decrease in international travelers and an increase in lodging options,” reports Travelzoo, the big website that tracks deal trends and has analyzed which destinations will be on its 2016 “Wow” deal list.

Amazingly, the Big Apple is on the list, which was released Wednesday.

New York City lodging rates are plunging by as much as 60%, mainly because South American and European travelers are visiting less. It turns out that New York was a huge deal for international travelers right up until the U.S. dollar became a lot stronger against their currencies.

Now, it is American travelers who have the edge.

In 2013, the average hotel rate in New York City was $290. Now a four-star hotel can be as low as $109 a night, Travelzoo found, especially in the low-season January to March period (in my book, one of my favorite times to visit the city). About 30,000 hotel rooms and 16,000 vacation rentals have been added to the city’s hotel stock in the last 7 years. So start looking and booking.

Not frozen out

Another very interesting spot TravelZoo calls a “Wow” for 2016 is Norway. Historically, this horrendously expensive European destination is out of reach for Americans. But the new airline Norwegian Air Shuttle has slashed airfare to the "Frozen" land of Elsa and Anna; fares can be as low as $144 each way from New York to Oslo. From Oslo, you can fly on to other European capitals. The low-cost airline may do for Norway what Aer Lingus has done for Ireland, Icelandair has done for Iceland and South African Airways has done for South Africa — draw new visitors.

(Photo: Adventures by Disney)

Other "Wow" destinations chosen by Travelzoo are also worth considering for 2016:

Cuba: the “hottest must-see” destination for 2016. More competition means discounts on packages; “packages that cost $3,000 last year are now priced at $1,599, a 47% discount,” Travelzoo reports. Look for even more cruises, charter flights and tour operators next year.

Canada: The strong U.S. dollar essentially means Americans get a 25% discount on everything. Go, Canada.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: It escaped the recent hurricane unscathed. The U.S. dollar is strong against the peso. Security is more stable. And there are six new hotels opening this year and in 2016; Travelzoo reports you can get rooms at $81 a night off-season and $147 in peak (winter) season.

Unlike made-up "best of" lists, Travelzoo has the authority to make such predictions. Its analysts don't just publish so-called deals; they confirm the offers are real and estimate their true value over time.

So as destinations rise and fall, and external factors we can’t control come into play, just be ready to grab amazing travel deals when they come.